Epitaxial Oxide Integrated Circuit

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/629,555 filed on Apr. 8, 2024; which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/652,019 filed on Feb. 22, 2022 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 12,087,880; which is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/IB2021/060466 filed on Nov. 11, 2021, and entitled “Epitaxial Oxide Materials, Structures, and Devices”; which is a 1) continuation-in-part of International Application No. PCT/IB2021/060414, entitled “Ultrawide Bandgap Semiconductor Devices Including Magnesium Germanium Oxides,” filed on Nov. 10, 2021; 2) continuation-in-part of International Application No. PCT/IB2021/060413, entitled “Epitaxial Oxide Materials, Structures and Devices,” filed on Nov. 10, 2021; and 3) a continuation of International Application No. PCT/IB2021/060427, entitled “Epitaxial Oxide Materials, Structures, and Devices”, filed on Nov. 10, 2021; all of which are hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.

This application is related to U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 16/990,349, filed on Aug. 11, 2020, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,342,484, and entitled “Metal Oxide Semiconductor-Based Light Emitting Device”; all of which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.

The following publications are referred to in the present application and their contents are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety:

Electronic and optoelectronic devices such as diodes, transistors, photodetectors, LEDs and lasers can use epitaxial semiconductor structures to control the transport of free carriers, detect light, or generate light. Wide bandgap semiconductor materials, such as those with bandgaps above about 4 eV, are useful in some applications such as high power devices, and optoelectronic devices that detect or emit light in ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths.

For example, UV light emitting devices (UVLEDs) have many applications in medicine, medical diagnostics, water purification, food processing, sterilization, aseptic packaging and deep submicron lithographic processing. Emerging applications in bio-sensing, communications, pharmaceutical process industry and materials manufacturing are also enabled by delivering extremely short wavelength optical sources in a compact and lightweight package having high electrical conversion efficiency such as a UVLED. Electro-optical conversion of electrical energy into discrete optical wavelengths with extremely high efficiency has generally been achieved using a semiconductor having the required properties to achieve the spatial recombination of charge carriers of electrons and holes to emit light of the required wavelength. In the case where UV light is required, UVLEDs have been developed using almost exclusively Gallium-Indium-Aluminum-Nitride (GaInAlN) compositions forming wurtzite-type crystal structures.

In another example, high power RF switches are used to separate, amplify and filter transmitted and received signals in a transceiver of a wireless communication system. A requirement of transistor devices making up such RF switches are the ability to handle high voltages without being damaged. Typical RF switches use transistor devices employing low bandgap semiconductors (e.g., Si or GaAs) with relatively low breakdown voltages (e.g., below about 3 V), and therefore many transistor devices are connected in series to withstand the required voltages. Wider bandgap semiconductors (e.g., GaN) with higher breakdown voltages have been used to improve the maximum voltage limit of RF switches using fewer transistor devices connected in series. An added benefit of using wider bandgap semiconductors such as GaN in RF switches is the ability to simplify the impedance matching with microwave circuits.

The present disclosure provides techniques for epitaxial oxide materials, structures and devices. In some embodiments, a semiconductor structure includes an epitaxial oxide material. In some embodiments, a semiconductor structure includes two or more epitaxial oxide materials with different properties, such as compositions, crystal symmetries, or bandgaps. The semiconductor structures can comprise one or more epitaxial oxide layers formed on a compatible substrate with in-plane lattice parameters and atomic positions that provide a suitable template for the growth of the epitaxial oxide materials. In some embodiments, one or more of the epitaxial oxide materials is strained. In some embodiments, one or more of the epitaxial oxide materials is doped n- or p-type. In some embodiments, the semiconductor structure comprises a superlattice with epitaxial oxide materials. In some embodiments, the semiconductor structure comprises a chirp layer with epitaxial oxide materials.

The semiconductor structures described herein can be a portion of a semiconductor device, such as an optoelectronic device with wavelengths ranging from infra-red to deep-ultraviolet, a light emitting diode, a laser diode, a photodetector, a solar cell, a high-power diode, a high-power transistor, a transducer, or a high electron mobility transistor. In some embodiments, the semiconductor device has a high breakdown voltage due to the properties of the epitaxial oxide materials therein. In some embodiments, the semiconductor device uses impact ionization mechanisms for carrier multiplication.

In some embodiments, an integrated circuit includes a field effect transistor (FET) and a waveguide coupled to the FET, wherein the waveguide comprises a signal conductor. The FET includes: a substrate comprising a first oxide material; an epitaxial semiconductor layer on the substrate, the epitaxial semiconductor layer comprising a second oxide material with a first bandgap; a gate layer on the epitaxial semiconductor layer, the gate layer comprising a third oxide material with a second bandgap, wherein the second bandgap is wider than the first bandgap; and electrical contacts. The electrical contacts include: a source electrical contact coupled to the epitaxial semiconductor layer; a drain electrical contact coupled to the epitaxial semiconductor layer; and a first gate electrical contact coupled to the gate layer.

In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to an integrated circuit, including a field effect transistor (FET) coupled to a waveguide including a signal conductor. The FET includes: a substrate; an epitaxial semiconductor layer (ESL) on the substrate, the ESL including an ESL oxide material with a first bandgap; a gate layer on the epitaxial semiconductor layer, the gate layer including a gate oxide material with a second bandgap, wherein the second bandgap is wider than the first bandgap; and electrical contacts including: a source electrical contact coupled to the ESL; a drain electrical contact coupled to the ESL; and a first gate electrical contact coupled to the gate layer.

Disclosed herein are embodiments of epitaxial oxide materials, with structures and electronic devices including the epitaxial oxide materials. Some embodiments disclose an optoelectronic semiconductor light emitting device that may be configured to emit light having a wavelength in the range of from about 150 nm to about 280 nm. The devices comprise a metal oxide substrate having at least one epitaxial semiconductor metal oxide layer disposed thereon. The substrate may comprise AlO, GaO, MgO, LiF, MgAlO, MgGaO, LiGaO, LiAlO, (AlGa)O, MgF, LaAlO, TiOor quartz. In certain embodiments, the one or more of the at least one semiconductor layer comprises at least one of AlOand GaO.

In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides an optoelectronic semiconductor light emitting device configured to emit light having a wavelength in the range from about 150 nm to about 280 nm, the device comprising a substrate having at least one epitaxial semiconductor layer disposed thereon, wherein each of the one or more epitaxial semiconductor layers comprises a metal oxide.

In another form, the metal oxide of each of the one or more semiconductor layers is selected from the group consisting of AlO, GaO, MgO, NiO, LiO, ZnO, SiO, GeO, ErO, GdO, PdO, BiO, IrO, and any combination of the aforementioned metal oxides.

In another form, at least one of the one or more semiconductor layers is a single crystal.

In another form, the at least one of the one or more semiconductor layers has rhombohedral, hexagonal or monoclinic crystal symmetry.

In another form, at least one of the one or more semiconductor layers is composed of a binary metal oxide, wherein the metal oxide is selected from AlOand GaO.

In another form, at least one of the one or more semiconductor layers is composed of a ternary metal-oxide composition, and the ternary metal oxide composition comprises at least one of AlOand GaO, and, optionally, a metal oxide selected from MgO, NiO, LiO, ZnO, SiO, GeO, ErO, GdO, PdO, BiO, and IrO.

In another form, the at least one of the one or more semiconductor layers is composed of a ternary metal-oxide composition of (AlGa)Owherein 0<x<1.

In another form, the at least one of the one or more semiconductor layers comprises uniaxially deformed unit cells.

In another form, the at least one of the one or more semiconductor layers comprises biaxially deformed unit cells.

In another form, the at least one of the one or more semiconductor layers comprises triaxially deformed unit cells.

In another form, the at least one of the one or more semiconductor layer is composed of a quaternary metal oxide composition, and the quaternary metal oxide composition comprises either: (i) GaOand a metal oxide selected from AlO, MgO, NiO, LiO, ZnO, SiO, GeO, ErO, GdO, PdO, BiO, and IrO; or (ii) AlOand a metal oxide selected from GaO, MgO, NiO, LiO, ZnO, SiO, GeO, ErO, GdO, PdO, BiO, and IrO.

In another form, the at least one of the one or more semiconductor layers is composed of a quaternary metal oxide composition (NiMg)γGaOwhere 0<x<1 and 0<y<1.

In another form, the surface of the substrate is configured to enable lattice matching of crystal symmetry of the at least one semiconductor layer.

In another form, the substrate is a single crystal substrate.

In another form, the substrate is selected from AlO, GaO, MgO, LiF, MgAlO, MgGaO, LiGaO, LiAlO, MgF, LaAlO, TiOand quartz.

In another form, the surface of the substrate has crystal symmetry and in-plane lattice constant matching so as to enable homoepitaxy or heteroepitaxy of the at least one semiconductor layer.

In another form, one or more of the at least one semiconductor layer is of direct bandgap type.

In a second aspect, the present disclosure provides an optoelectronic semiconductor device for generating light of a predetermined wavelength comprising a substrate; and an optical emission region having an optical emission region band structure configured for generating light of the predetermined wavelength and comprising one or more epitaxial metal oxide layers supported by the substrate.

In another form, configuring the optical emission region band structure for generating light of the predetermined wavelength comprises selecting the one or more epitaxial metal oxide layers to have an optical emission region band gap energy capable of generating light of the predetermined wavelength.

In another form, selecting the one or more epitaxial metal oxide layers to have an optical emission region band gap energy capable of generating light of the predetermined wavelength comprises forming the one or more epitaxial metal oxide layers of a binary metal oxide of the form AOcomprising a metal specie (A) combined with oxygen (O) in the relative proportions x and y.

In another form, the binary metal oxide is AlO.

In another form, the binary metal oxide is GaO.

In another form, the binary metal oxide is selected from the group consisting of MgO, NiO, LiO, ZnO, SiO, GeO, ErO, GdO, PdO, BiOand IrO.

In another form, selecting the one or more epitaxial metal oxide layers to have an optical emission region band gap energy capable of generating light of the predetermined wavelength comprises forming the one or more epitaxial metal oxide layers of a ternary metal oxide.

In another form, the ternary metal oxide is a ternary metal oxide bulk alloy of the form ABOcomprising a metal species (A) and (B) combined with oxygen (O) in the relative proportions x, y and n.

In another form, a relative fraction of the metal specie B to the metal specie A ranges from a minority relative fraction to a majority relative fraction.

In another form, the ternary metal oxide is of the form ABOwhere 0<x<1.0.

In another form, the metal specie A is Al and metal specie B is selected from the group consisting of: Zn, Mg, Ga, Ni, Rare Earth, Ir Bi, and Li.

In another form, the metal specie A is Ga and metal specie B is selected from the group consisting of: Zn, Mg, Ni, Al, Rare Earth, Ir, Bi and Li.

In another form, the ternary metal oxide is of the form (AlGa)O, where 0<x<1. In other forms, x is about 0.1, or about 0.3, or about 0.5.

In another form, the ternary metal oxide is a ternary metal oxide ordered alloy structure formed by sequential deposition of unit cells formed along a unit cell direction and comprising alternating layers of metal specie A and metal specie B having intermediate 0 layers to form a metal oxide ordered alloy of the form A-O—B—O-A-O—B-etc.

In another form, the metal specie A is Al and the metal specie B is Ga, and the ternary metal oxide ordered alloy is of the form Al—O—Ga—O—Al-etc.

In another form, the ternary metal oxide is of the form of a host binary metal oxide crystal with a crystal modification specie.

In another form, the host binary metal oxide crystal is selected from the group consisting of GaO, AlO, MgO, NiO, ZnO, BiO, r-GeO, IrO, REOand LiO and the crystal modification specie is selected from the group consisting of Ga, Al, Mg, Ni, Zn, Bi, Ge, Ir, RE and Li.

In another form, selecting the one or more epitaxial metal oxide layers to have an optical emission region band gap energy capable of generating light of the predetermined wavelength comprises forming the one or more epitaxial metal oxide layers as a superlattice comprising two or more layers of metal oxides forming a unit cell and repeating with a fixed unit cell period along a growth direction.

In another form, the superlattice is a bi-layered superlattice comprising repeating layers comprising two different metal oxides.

In another form, the two different metal oxides comprise a first binary metal oxide and a second binary metal oxide.

In another form, the first binary metal oxide is AlOand the second binary metal oxide is GaO.

In another form, the first binary metal oxide is NiO and the second binary metal oxide is GaO.